The Aftermath
by DreyMarley
Summary: The warm, sticky substance oozed on the accursed blade. Tears of anger and shame rolled down her dirt covered cheeks. Her hands, coated in crimson, dropped the blade to the ground and clenched into tight, furious fists " You did what was right Clarke... And I wish we all had the strength you do," she said.


The warm, sticky substance oozed on the accursed blade. Tears of anger and shame rolled down her dirt covered cheeks. Her hands, coated in crimson, dropped the blade to the ground and clenched into tight, furious fists.

Clarke couldn't bring herself to look at him as she stepped away from the sacfricial post that held the corpse of the man she had loved, so she kept her lowered to the ground.

Throughout the crowd of grounders, bodies tensed and fidgeted, anxiously awaiting orders from their Commander.

But in the end, the words they heard were not the ones they had hoped to hear.

" It is done," said the Commander, with the raise of her hand, in a chilling tone, completely void of emotion.

Turning to face the Commander, Clarke gathered her wits, and tried to keep out all the words that threatened to escape from her mouth.

_Why did it come to this?Was it really necessary? Are you all so savagely bloodthirsty that the only way you can accomplish peace is with the death of a desperate man?_

Is what she wanted to say, to make them feel her pain, to make them understand. How she had to betray her friend, how she had to say goodbye to her love, and how she had to then stab him in the chest for a less painful death- _all for peace._

Instead she managed to say," Will we have peace?"

The Commander gave a curt nod, and responded stoically with," We shall," but underneath all the bravado Clarke could see a glimmer of sympathy and pity in her eyes, before it vanished and the stone cold eyes returned.

Clarke could hardly bring herself to feel any sense of self preservation or defense against the grounders as she walked through their camp.

Her thoughts were solely on how she could ever face anyone again. If she could even bring herself to look Raven in the eyes. How disgusted Octavia and Bellamy would be, how she betrayed them and murdered Finn, _their friend_.

Trudging through the undergrowth of the forest, Clarke arrived at the gate of the Arc community, and she faintly heard someone yell, " Open the gate!"

People mobbed at the entrance, and Clarke saw several mixed expressions, some people incredulous, others saddened, and a few who were upset at the death of their own at the hands of their own.

Jaha reached her first among the crowd of strangers, his face the perfect contradiction of pride and anger.

Kane was next, and she could easily tell he was furious at her desicion, but conflicted as well, for her actions had brought them to peace.

Her mother was final, and she had tears in her eyes, tears of anger and sadness. She opened her arms and Clarke fled into them, silent sobs escaping from her.

It was a brief embrace though, for Clarke knew in her gut that she had to face Raven, had to explain to her that it was the best death she could have given him. That there was no other way.

She gave a questioning glance to her mother, who quickly understood and responded with," She's with Wick and Bellamy in the infirmary. "

Silently passing through the crowds of people, she ignored their judgmental stares, and once more trained her eyes to the ground.

She heard Raven before she even saw her. The cries that came from inside of the infirmary were unmistakably the ones of someone who had just had part of their soul ripped away.

Clarke gathered every bit of strength left in her and strode into the infirmary, awaiting the inevitable screams of betrayal and anger.

But as she came into the room and saw Bellamy's look of understanding and Wick's incredulous stare, she did not expect at all to be at the receiving end of a hug from Raven.

The dark haired girl, squeezed tightly and smothered her face into Clarke's shoulder as if to escape the reality of his death.

Before Clarke could utter a word of apology, with hiccupping sobs, Raven explained how she had gone to Lincoln and asked what would have been done to Finn.

She explained how she knew what Clarke had done had saved Finn a death from torture, and that at least Finn died in Clarke's embrace.

" You did what was right Clarke... And I wish we all had the strength you do," she said.

Even Bellamy could agree with what Raven had said. It was Clarke who always managed to do what was right, and even though killing Atom and Finn were tragic things to do, they had to be done.

No one could doubt the friendship, and the understanding, the two girls shared after that... And Finn would never be forgotten with the two of them sharing his memories.

_I'm sorry Finn. But thank you, we will have peace because of you, and now the deaths shall cease._


End file.
